Drouhin Laroze Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru 2020 (1.5L)

95-97 VM / 94-96 JM / 92-94 BH

The 2020 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru is composed and classy on the nose, blackberry and raspberry fruit, a touch of sous-bois and rose petal. This is magnificent! The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, perfectly judged acidity, the oak supremely well enmeshed with a tight-knit and quite persistent finish. This is well worth hunting down.—Neal Martin, Vinous Media

30% whole bunch vinification, and aged in 100% new wood. Dark intense purple. This has the most interesting nose to date of the grands crus because the least lush. More volume of fruit across the palate, less lush and more juicy, with a precision too. Tannins in balance, with just a hint of phenols at the finish. Tasted: December 2021.--Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

Note: from a parcel of 1.5 ha of vines planted in 1949
Producer note: Philippe Drouhin's children, Caroline and Nicolas, now both work at the domaine full-time and have essentially assumed full responsibility for the wines. I met this trip with Nicolas, who described the 2020 vintage as one where "the growing season began and finished early as it was hot and very dry. There really wasn't much disease pressure though we did have a moderately high incidence of sunburned fruit. We picked from the 26th of August until the 2nd of September and yields were a reasonable 35 hl/ha with potential alcohols that ranged from 12.5 to 14%. I used on average 25% whole clusters though it varied from wine to wine as some had none and a few had 50% and the Très Girard had 100%. As to the style of the 2020s, they're clearly the product of a hot vintage yet they don't drink like it because they're so incredibly vibrant and fresh. There is excellent richness and their refreshing characters just make you feel like drinking them. For me, they're fresher and the alcohols are better balanced than their 2019 counterparts." See also the wines from Maison Laroze de Drouhin below. Tasting note: A markedly spicy and notably fresher nose freely offers up ripe aromas of cassis and black cherry coulis. The bigger yet more refined broad-shouldered flavors flash evident minerality on the compact, tightly wound and built-to-age finale. This could use better depth, but more should develop over the course of its aging curve. –Allen Meadows, Burghound